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Delays in 2016 GLAS payments raised in the Dáil by Kenny

Yesterday in the Dáil, Sinn Féin’s Agriculture spokesperson,
Martin Kenny TD, raised the issue of the 6,000 farmers awaiting their 2016 GLAS
payments. He brought it up with Minister of State at the Department of
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle TD.

Deputy Kenny said:

“The 6,000 or more farmers waiting for their GLAS money are
waiting for their 2016 payments, and we are now nearly at the end of
2017. I am given to understand that a lot of the reason for this is to do
with nutrient management plans which have not yet been submitted or have been
delayed in being submitted.

“We also have coming up very soon the issue of the commonage
framework plans, which also are supposed to be submitted or people will not get
their money. As the Minister of State knows, because he lives in a
mountainous part of the world in County Wicklow, a lot of farmers on commonage
will have to do up this framework plan and submit it. The plans have to
be in by 31 October and yet the portal to submit the plan only opened up on 1
October.

“We understand there is a bit of a row going on between
private planners and Teagasc, as there was in regard to the nutrient management
plans, because the private planners have to get access to it through
Teagasc. There are a lot of problems there, the reason for which is poor
foresight, because they were not sorted out in the beginning and worked
through.”

Minister Doyle responded that there were no delays, but that
some applicants had still to submit outstanding documentation including management
plans.

Deputy Kenny said that the minister was blaming farmers
again to which the minister said that he was also blaming advisors.

Deputy Kenny said:

“There will always be somebody who is a little late.
Everybody does not get every wisp of hay home; that is life but farmers have
been waiting for their money for a very lengthy period as the Minister of State
will acknowledge.

“What needs to be acknowledged is that there is
a problem in the Department in regard to the IT systems it uses. I am not
blaming the Minister of State, the Minister or anyone else at present but the
problem needs to be acknowledged and a solution needs to be found to deal with
it.”